After leaving Chelsea for Manchester United, is Andrey Santos ready to be a regular starter?

After three years marked by a lack of consistent game time at Chelsea, Andrey Santos joined Manchester United this transfer window in search of a regular run in the starting XI. Despite being signed for a fixed £50 million, the Brazilian midfielder does not have a guaranteed spot in Michael Carrick's line-up.

Following Casemiro's move to Inter Miami and Manuel Ugarte's serious injury during the World Cup, the Red Devils had a clear need in midfield, addressed by the arrivals of both Andrey and Youri Tielemans, whose release clause was triggered at Aston Villa for £35 million.

However, Manchester United's plan is to bring in one more reinforcement for the position, with Carlos Baleba the club's main target in the market.

The midfielder has long been a dream signing for the board and nearly joined Old Trafford at the start of last season, only for Brighton to block the move. An agreement for the Cameroonian is now expected to be reached in the coming days.

As a result, with Baleba's potential arrival, the English manager would have five options (Andrey Santos, Tielemans, Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo being the other four) to fill two midfield slots, with the trio completed by the irreplaceable Bruno Fernandes.

Much as was the case with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea, the Brazilian will face stiff competition to convince Carrick.

Even so, Andrey is likely to find a more favourable environment at Manchester United than he did in his final seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Why does Andrey Santos have a more favourable context at Manchester United than at Chelsea?

After an early breakthrough at Vasco da Gama, the 22-year-old midfielder took time to find space at Chelsea, to the point where he needed to be loaned out to gain minutes.

A brief, low-impact spell at Nottingham Forest preceded a move to Strasbourg, where he established himself and even became captain under Liam Rosenior.

Andrey was included in Chelsea's squad planning for the Club World Cup in 2025, but was overlooked by Enzo Maresca, under whom he only started matches in the Premier League before the Italian's dismissal in January.

Following the appointment of the English manager, the Brazilian midfielder received more opportunities, but Caicedo and Fernandez remained ahead of him in the pecking order, a situation that did not change under Xabi Alonso either.

By contrast, Manchester United are going through a rebuild in midfield, and the new number 17 has already made a strong first impression on his manager.

A starter in all six pre-season friendlies, Andrey Santos has been widely praised by the English boss, not only for his quality on the pitch, but also for his personality.

"Andrey, for such a young man to come in the way he's come in, his character, his personality is a dream," Carrick told The Athletic.

His tactical discipline, combined with his defensive and creative ability, allows the Brazilian to operate either as a holding midfielder or further forward as a second midfielder.

According to data from The Athletic, Andrey averaged 15 line-breaking passes per 100 in the 2025-26 Premier League, figures close to those of Bruno Fernandes (15.6), Youri Tielemans and Casemiro (both on 16.3).

Andrey Santos vs Carlos Baleba: the battle for a starting spot

Even though Carlos Baleba has more experience at the top level of English football than the Brazilian, he would begin the fight for a starting spot at a disadvantage, as he is still recovering from an ankle ligament injury.

And with the Red Devils splitting their focus between the Champions League, Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup, rotation will be useful in navigating a packed calendar.

This is a moment for Andrey Santos to make his case. He was assessed by Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the World Cup, but missed out on the final squad due to his inconsistent form at Chelsea.

To prove he deserves to be considered by the Brazil national team for the 2030 cycle, Manchester United's number 17 is looking to take centre stage in 2026-27.